Lessons for Developing Reading Mastery

Close Reading -- The Real Dracula

This lesson involves close reading. It uses adaptive technology to develop the skills necessary to perform the higher level tasks. The video below provides a brief introduction to adaptive technology in the classroom.

Standards met: Reading Standards for Informational Text Grade 8. -- cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Instructional plan: The teacher introduces the lesson by announcing to the class that they will be learning a new method of reading that will enable the students to better comprehend and engage more deeply with the text. The teacher introduces the following coding.

x= I am confused? = I have a question

! = I am confused

The teacher models the procedure in the first paragraph, highlighting and annotating the text under the document camera as he reads. For several more paragraphs, the teacher guides the class through the procedure, calling on students to read and soliciting their ideas. The text is discussed and analyzed as we go along. The students copy and hilight the notes and questions on their own copies of the text. As a wrap-up, the teacher debriefs the lesson with the class and explains that the students will continue to practice this procedure and eventually become able to do it with proficiency on their own.

Students build their reading skills by using Moby Max, an adaptive technology that assesses students' reading skills and tailors instruction to the students' individual needs. The students visit the computer lab at least once a week to use the language, vocabulary, and comprehension modules that guide them as they develop the reading skills they need to close reading effectively.

Differentiation/accommodations: This class is a Special Day Class: all students in the class have IEPs and are given extra time and small group instruction. The text under analysis is high interest/low readability. English Language Learners receive ELD instruction within this setting,.Assessment: Assessment is based on teacher observation, questioning and discussion, and student work samples.